The Washington Capitals have learned their opponent for the upcoming first round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs: the Montreal Canadiens. Washington enters the postseason as the best team in the Eastern Conference with a 50-21-9 record. Meanwhile, Montreal secured a win in their last regular-season contest of 2024-25 to earn the last wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference with a 39-31-11 mark this season. The two franchises have a fascinating history despite only one postseason meeting nearly two decades ago that saw a 24-year-old Alex Ovechkin watching the Canadiens celebrate on his home ice.
Washington and Montreal Were Division Foes to Start
When Washington entered the NHL to start the 1974-75 season, the Capitals were placed in the Norris Division alongside the Canadiens, Los Angeles Kings, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Detroit Red Wings. Washington missed the playoffs for eight-straight seasons between 1974-75 and 1981-82, while the Canadiens dynasty lifted the Stanley Cup four consecutive times from 1975-76 to 1979-80. Montreal never lost a division game against Washington with a pristine 34-0-0 record.
With the NHL-WHL merger before the 1979-80 season, Washington was moved into the Patrick Division of the Clarence Campbell Conference alongside the Philadelphia Flyers, Atlanta Flames, New York Islanders, and New York Rangers. In Oct. 1979, Washington achieved its first tie against Montreal, 2-2. A new decade brought new success for Washington following a 3-1 win over the Canadiens in Feb. 1980, which ended a 35-0-1 streak against the Capitals.
NHL-wide division realignment before the 1993-94 season established the Eastern and Western Conferences we know today (From ‘NHL Tries New Lineup for ‘93-94 : Hockey: League’s wide-ranging realignment includes playoff format and conference names – LA Times, April 1, 1993). While both are based on the East Coast, the two franchises have been in separate divisions for the last three decades. Washington has won or split the season series with Montreal each of the previous nine campaigns.
Washington Won the Season Series in 2024-25
The Capitals finished 2-0-1 against the Canadiens this season. On Halloween, Washington improved to a spooky 7-2-0 record following a 6-3 win over Montreal. On Dec. 7, Tom Wilson scored two third-period goals to power another Capitals victory over the Canadiens. In their final meeting on Jan. 10, Montreal claimed the 3-2 overtime win on Nick Suzuki’s 13th goal.
Washington’s projected starting goalie, Charlie Lindgren, was 1-0-0 with a 2.19 goals-against-average (GAA) and a .875 save percentage (SV%). Backup Logan Thompson was 1-0-1 with a 3.04 GAA and a .899 SV% over two games. Thompson has been absent from the Capitals’ lineup over the last two weeks due to an upper-body injury. However, he has resumed skating with the team.
Montreal’s starting netminder, Sam Montembeault, made 31 saves in a losing effort to Washington in December. A month later, backup Jacob Dobes stopped 15 shots in an overtime win for Montreal. Cayden Primeau, currently with the American Hockey League’s Laval Rockets, allowed six Capitals goals in late October, including the fifth goal of Ovechkin’s remarkable season.
Capitals Are Winless Against the Canadiens in the Stanley Cup Playoffs
Ovechkin skated in the only playoff series between Washington and Montreal in the 2009-10 Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Capitals winger led Washington’s offensive effort by scoring five goals and registering 10 points in a seven-game series loss to Montreal. Canadiens forward Michael Cammalleri matched Ovechkin’s 10 points in seven games, while a 24-year-old Jaroslav Halak denied Washington with a .939% save percentage in six games. A 22-year-old Carey Price also appeared in two games during the series for Montreal.
Related: Remembering the Canadiens’ 2010 Playoff Run
In Game 7 of the 2010 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals, Canadiens forward Dominic Moore scored to give Montreal a 2-0 lead with under four minutes to play in the third period. Ovechkin registered a secondary assist on a Brooks Laich goal with 2:16 remaining. Ryan O’Byrne’s high-sticking penalty put Washington’s power play on the ice for the final 1:44, but Halak stood tall for Montreal to disappoint the 18,000-plus Capitals fans at Verizon Center.
Following the conclusion of Washington’s regular-season schedule on Thursday night, each team will get a few days of rest before the playoffs begin. The same venue, now called the Capital One Arena, will host the opening games of Round 1 between Washington and Montreal beginning on Monday, April 21.
